appellate court
Definition
A court with authority to review and potentially overturn decisions made by lower trial courts, focusing on errors in law rather than retrying facts.
A higher-level judiciary body that hears appeals, ensuring consistency and fairness in legal rulings across jurisdictions.
Examples
After the trial judge sentenced the cat to nine lives in jail for scratching the couch, the feline's lawyer took it straight to the appellate court.
The appellate court reviewed the case where the defendant claimed his coffee was too hot—turns out, the real appeal was to everyone's sense of justice.
Bob's parking ticket was so absurdly unfair that even the appellate court judges chuckled while tossing it out like yesterday's doughnut crumbs.
In a landmark ruling, the appellate court decided that pineapple on pizza isn't a crime—much to the relief of Hawaiian topping enthusiasts everywhere.